Did Ahmadinejad actually say that???

Lately, America has been concerned with Iran. There has been speculation that Iran has created nuclear weapons and will use them against opposing countries. Now, America did not just assume that Iran might attack another country. This belief was contrived because the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, supposedly said that "Israel must be wiped off the map." I have been researching this situation and have found different opinions on whether or not Ahmadinejad actually said that. Arash Norouzi, an Iranian journalist, claims that Ahmadinejad said, "The Imam said this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time." Then, Norouzi goes on to explain that "This is the passage that has been isolated, twisted and distorted so famously." This Iranian journalist believes that Ahmadinejad does not want Israel to be destroyed by war, but rather have a complete regime change. In Norouzi's article, he directly translated what Ahmadinejad said in Farsi to English.

An article released from the BBC News Channel claims that Ahmadinejad said, "As the Imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map." Then the BBC article goes onto say that "a Muslim state that developed a nuclear weapon might use it to destroy Israel." The BBC has a convincing argument that Amadinejad might use his nuclear weapons, if obtained, to destroy Israel.

Which argument do you believe is true? If Ahmadinejad did say he wanted Israel "wiped of the map," would he use nuclear weapons to do so?

The "Domino Theory"

In class, we have been discussing the Cold War and how the United States wanted to prevent the spread of Communism. Mr. Lawler wanted to know who first thought of the "Domino Theory." Always looking for an opportunity to write blog post, I decided to investigate this subject. I found that Dwight D. Eisenhower introduced this theory in an interview in 1954. The "Domino Theory" was brought up when the interviewer asked Eisenhower about "the strategic importance of Indochina." Eisenhower addressed the the point of how Indochina has many raw materials and then goes on to talk about the "falling domino theory." Eisenhower said, "Asia, after all, has already lost some 450 million of its peoples to the Communist dictatorship, and we simply can not afford greater losses." he wanted to prevent Communism from spreading into Indochina because then then other countries would fall to Communism like dominoes. This is the first time this theory was introduced to the public and this has was a part of American ideology for many years.

U.S.A. Reaching Out to Cuba?

In class, we have been looking at cartoons and the message that they send. I looked at a few cartoons that were drawn in the early 1900s that dealt with the foreign affairs of the United States. In 2009, the cartoons could be about Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, China, North Korea, and as in this political cartoon, Cuba. America and Cuba have not had the best relationship, but Obama is hoping to change that. Although Obama is open to talk with Cuba and help their relationship progress, Cuba is hesitant. In a recent Chicago tribune article, it claims that "many say it will be hard for Cuba to ignore decades of mistrust." America has not been honest to Cuba through out their whole relationship, but Obama wants to reach out and make America's relationship with Cuba a friendly one. In this political cartoon, we see the hand of Uncle Sam reaching out to shake the hand of Cuba's. You could interpret this photo in two ways. Initially, I thought that America wanted to heal the wounded relationship, but Cuba is hesitant and that is why their hand is in shackles. The chain is holding Cuba from shaking Uncle Sam's hand, which means Cuba is not ready to compromise with America. But, when I began to think about it further, this could also be interpreted as America reaching out to Cuba to grab the American political prisoners that Cuba has taken captive. I came to that conclusion because the hand is in shackles and the clothing looks dirty as if it were a prisoner. Regardless of interpretation, this political cartoon illustrates an opinion and argument without words. Do you feel that a political cartoon "speaks" more to you than a newspaper article?

Just to fill you in, the Tribune believes that "both nations are now trading their warmest words since Washington broke diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961." America is on the right path by trying to mend the broken relationship with Cuba.

The Power of a Picture

Today, i was reading through Everything Is an Argument and how an image can say more than words and can pull the emotional stings of our hearts. The one image that I kept seeing in my mind was an extreme juxtapose of a mound of bodies and skulls scattered through a lit church. I had seen this image when a good family friend of mine, Clemantine Wamariya, presented at my grade school about her experience and story of her escape from the Rwanda Genocide. The Rwanda Genocide was a massacre of 6 million people because the Hutus (an ethnic group of Rwanda) wanted to get rid of every Tutsi (another ethnic group of Rwanda). The genocide was gruesome in that people used guerrilla war tactics and rape. Clemantine was one of the few who escaped the genocide and came to America after years of waiting in refugee camps. Her story was amazing, but what made it impactful was the powerful images she showed. The image that has been forever etched in my mind is the juxtapose of a cross in the middle of hundreds of corpses. The cross has always been to me a symbol of hope and life, while the corpses and skulls scattered on the ground symbolize death and horror. Also, this picture was in the middle of a church. A church to me represents a refuge and a place of safety, but during the Genocide it was a slaughterhouse. The image had a strong emotional appeal and only made Clemantine's story more compelling. This image gives you a sense of the destruction and horror that went on during this awful genocide. I will never forget this image, and I will never forget the compelling story of perseverance by Clemantine Wamariya.

Now, what images have been so powerful that you never forget them? If you have any, comment on this post and put your picture in the comment and explain why it is so powerful.

G.M. Wants to Give Back?

Recently, our class has been discussing Michael Moore's film "Roger and Me." The film shows how there were eleven General Motors plants in Flint, Michigan, and how they were torn down because they could get cheaper labor in Mexico. Michael Moore filmed the opinions of the laborers who lost their jobs and they were extremely upset, upset at Roger Smith, the president of General Motors. "Roger and Me" was filmed in the 1980's, but even today, there is still complaints being sent to General Motors. Our economy right now is in poor shape and many of the car companies are on the verge of bankruptcy. General Motors is one of those companies, and they have been receiving aid from the government to prevent filing bankruptcy. Fritz Henderson, new Chief Executive for G.M., said, "But the day we took money from the taxpayer was one of the, one of the most difficult days of certainly my career and of the history of General Motors. … And one of the, one of the happiest days of my future career is going to be the day we pay the loans back.” When I read that, I thought that other Americans would would seem happy because he cares about the taxpayers and sincerely wants to pay them back. When I look on the comments I found many angry responses. Many Americans are upset about the whole economic situation so they will get mad at anything that seems unfair. For example, Brian Sussman from New Rochelle, New York, said, " If Mr. Henderson was 'earning' $200,000, that would be more than sufficient. If he has any sense of honor, He should immediately reduce his salary by an additional $1.1 million, and consider that his patriotic duty; or if he is too greedy for that, he should immediately resign his position without accepting any severance pay or other benefits." This man is extremely upset that Henderson is making 1.3 million even though his company is on the verge of bankruptcy. Americans are speaking out against the executives who are making more than enough money even after they are receiving government aid. Sussman's comment reminded me of the angry laborers who sent letters to F.DR.. In this hard economic time, people are becoming angry at any unfair thing and want the government to stop throwing away money to companies who handle it foolishly.

Blogging to Help the Homeless???

"How much responsibility should individuals have for addressing poverty?"

As I was surfing the New York Times, I came across an article titled, "A Home on the Internet Shelters Beijing's Homeless." When I first saw that, I was intrigued and soon began reading the article. A man named Zhang Shihe, "a 55-year-old blogger, is a marketing expert by day, good Samaritan by night." What exactly is a man from Beijing doing that gives him the title of a "good Samaritan?" This man has been blogging about the injustices in China and "for the last year and a half, he has used the Internet to raise awareness of the plight of the neighborhood's homeless." Mr. Zhang is now "soliciting donations on his blog" for the homeless people he witnesses living in horrible conditions. For example, he saw "32 squatters" living in "knee-high sleeping compartments, assembled from the rubble" of a demolished hotel. By showing the horrible living conditions of these men and women, Mr. Zhang has received many donations which help home the homeless. After reading this article, I realized why he is given the title "good Samaritan."

The amazing thing is, this man lives on "$600-a-month salary" and he still able to help the homeless. My family has a much higher income and we do not help the homeless anywhere near how much Mr. Zhang does. If this man can help poverty stricken people this much, think how much someone who is much more privileged could help. I feel that people who are privileged should help those in poverty. These people are living in ruble, while we are living in a comfortable bed and home. Do you feel called to help those in poverty?

Most Needed:The Consumer or Stimulus Bill?

Last night, Barack Obama gave a more optimistic speech concerning the economic crisis in our country. Obama said, "We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than ever." The Chicago Tribune this morning said that "consumers were the most important audience" because "[Obama's] policies won't be effective unless confidence is restored." Obama 's optimism was meant to encourage consumers to be more confident in the economy and more willing to consume. The 787 billion dollar stimulus package will help, but the consumer needs to contribute as well. The more people begin to buy, the faster the economy of our country will recover. The consumer needs to take responsibility to help America out of this recession.

In class we talked about the trade-offs of capitalism. In our country, many people are losing their jobs or having their salaries lowered. Because of this, people are beginning to save more and spend less. But there is a problem with this. The consumer needs to be active so the stimulus bill will be more effective and can help our country out of a deep economic rut. If consumers do not begin to buy, more companies will suffer and the stimulus bill will have minimal effect. Obama made his speech particularly optimistic hoping America would feel more comfortable spending money, which should help our country move towards economic recovery.

The Healing River

As I read through Huckleberry Finn, I began to notice that the river has more significance than just a part of the setting. The river dictates the book and pushes the story along. T.S. Eliot, a well-renowned poet, once said about the river, that "recurrently we are reminded of its presence and its power. " What kind of power does the river have in Huck Finn? More importantly, what kind of power do rivers in general have?

It was a Saturday morning, just relaxing on the couch, watching some Sports Center. The daily sports report then turned into a special report on how fly fishing on rivers has changed the lives of many soldiers who have lost limbs in battle. Many of these soldiers deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which is very difficult to recover from. A former Captain in the Navy named Ed Nicholson started a non-profit organization called "Project Healing Waters." This organization takes men who have lost limbs in war out on rivers to go fly fishing. Project Healing Waters "gives them new feelings that they are going to get through this." Being out on the river gives them hope and makes them feel safe. One of the war veterans said, "Here in the water it is peaceful" and you "don't have to worry about being attacked." The river has the power to heal the hurting souls of these war veterans. It gives them a place where they feel peaceful and safe. One of the veterans said that because of Project Healing Waters "I felt human again."

This organization is doing great things by using the peacefulness of the river to heal the hearts of many soldiers. Similar to Huck Finn, being on the river with Jim allowed Huck to see Jim in a new light. To see Jim as human. Rivers allow for growth and healing.

Snuggies!

Now, for all of you coach potatoes, you know exactly what I am talking about. The blanket with the arms. The blanket that never lets you feel the cold. The blanket that makes you feel "snugly" all the time. THE SNUGGIE! How genius of an idea that is? Whenever I sit down to watch television, I find myself intrigued by a trivial blanket with arms.

Now, of course this sounds like a great idea but is it too hyped? The advertisement claims the snuggie allows you to watch TV in "total warmth and comfort" because of the "ultra-soft, thick, luxurious fleece." Come on! This is a $20 dollar blanket! How could it be so comfortable and so luxurious? Well, you do get "years of warmth and comfort" with this ideal blanket. Now, I do not see how this product could be more romanticised. It is a blanket that you can fit your arms in--a.k.a. a sweater. Is this really that great of a product? Of course not, but the creators of the commercial try to make it seem like an incredible product that will solve all of your issues. The snuggie may seem appealing with its catchy commercial, but if you pay attention to what the advertisement is really saying, the snuggie is not really what it is made out to be. The snuggie is nothing more than a cozy blanket. I do love this commercial, don't get me wrong, but the snuggie is romanticised and it made to look a lot better than it actually is.

Oppression in Paris,Texas

As January 20, 2009 rolled around, America wanted to put its racist past behind and "change." Thousands filled Washington D.C. to see the historic day of when our first Black President, Barack Obama, gave his inaugural address. Many optimistic Americans believed the hate was over and we would be accepting of all races and cultures. But, in Paris,Texas, the racial tension and oppression is still there.
In December 2008, a black man was "dragged... beneath a pickup truck until his body was nearly dismembered" by two white men. Police claim it was not a hate crime,but Jacqueline McClelland, the mother of the man killed, said, "Any crime that is done the way my son was done, I think hate played a part in it." Clearly, the white men were agents and oppressing the black man. It is horrible to see such racism in a country were we are pushing for racial equality. In the article from the Chicago tribune, there is a video clip that shows Jacqueline McClelland and others from Paris, Texas, talking about the situation. In this clip, you can tell that the African Americans are the agents but are they are using their power to help better their town and stop the racial hate crimes.
When given power, you have the opportunity to abuse it or use it for good. At this meeting, the agents are using their power to do good. When you are given power, how do you use it?

International Justice Mission

"Cast your whole vote, not a strip of paper merely, but your whole influence."

-Henry David Thoreau

As I was sitting in class on Thursday, I could see the passion that our guest speaker had for her mission. She has devoted her whole life to promote peace by doing acts of civil disobedience. She does not only claim that war is wrong, but spends her whole life trying to stop the violence. She is using her "whole influence" to try to stop the ongoing wars. There are many people who are using their "whole influence" to not only end wars, but injustice.

In church today, a speaker named Gary Haugen talked about how he has devoted his whole life to fighting injustice. In 1997, Haugen chose to start a "human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression" called International Justice Mission. This agency is made up of lawyers who "work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems." When he was talking about the injustice in the world, I could see the passion he had for rescuing the abused just like our guest speaker in class had passion for peace. These two people have devoted their whole lives to their cause and take action in trying to solve the problems they see in our world. I believe that Thoreau would have commended both of these people because they have used their "whole influence" to solve the issues they are passionate about. Haugen is making a large impact in the world because he is trying to establish justice in our world and free abused men and women. The question I ask myself is: What am I doing to use my "whole influence?" And now I ask you: What are you doing to use your "Whole influence?"

Wyoming Land Rush

While gazing over the new York Times website, I was intrigued by the article "A Land Rush in Wyoming Spurred by Wind Power." The previous day we had watched an epic film of Tom Cruise racing to snatch his piece of land in the Oklahoma land rush. I visualized a whole swarm of cars racing out to Wyoming to stake out their piece of land and set up wind turbines that would produce electricity for their home and town. In actuality, the Wyoming land rush was a little more subtle than that. There are companies searching for "wind-rich land" who spotted a few counties in Wyoming where the land could be made into "wind farms." Since there are people who own these windy lands, the wind companies are not going to snatch there piece of land for free like those in the 1889 land rush. But, hold on. I thought in the 1889 land rush the Indians owned that land. That was until the federal government said it was open to the public. Why is it that the Indians are always being pushed out of where they have settled from?

I was so upset to hear the tragedies the Indians went through during the Westward Expansion, the mass killings, and the treaties that were broken. Even though I am only one-sixteenth Creek Indian, I felt the pain that some of my ancestors went through. I had an opportunity while reading Zinn to see the asterisk of the Indians. I got a glimpse of how the Indians felt when they were being betrayed by the "white society." While watching the epic land rush of 1889, I noticed the Indians on the side, watching their land being taken from them, only to be moved into an unknown new land.

The Klan is back?

"Society never advances. It recedes as fast on one side as it gains on the other."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

As we watch the Bush administration come to an end, we are excited to see what Barack Obama will do to improve and advance our country. Americans are very optimistic and see Obama making change to move our country forward. If our society is advancing, wouldn't Emerson argue that our society is receding as well? He was right. I opened the Chicago Tribune and saw the headline "Hate Incidents in U.S. Surge." This article explains that a surge in white supremacist groups have been noticed because of President-elect Obama. The Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group, has hung "effigies of President-elect Barack Obama." Emerson's idea that "society never advances" rings true. Our nation should be in a time of change and advancement, but that has been halted by the rise in hate crimes. A lady from Angie, La., Judy Robinson, "decided to place an Obama campaign sign outside her home a few weeks before the election. On the morning after Halloween, she awoke to find 'KKK' and 'White Power' spray-painted around her yard." It is frightening to hear that the KKK is reviving and terrorising people for supporting our new President. Emerson's beliefs are clearly shown through the surge of hate crimes.

Rugby Linked to Progress??

Yesterday, I had a conversation with a teammate about how to play rugby. The game seemed very interesting and I think I would enjoy playing it. Coincidentally, I looked online and saw an article from the New York Times named "The Unlikely Scrum." After just hearing the positions and how the game of rugby is played, I knew that article dealt with rugby. This sport has become more and more popular around New Trier, but in this article, I was shocked to hear that Hyde Leadership Public Charter School has the "nation's first all African-American high school rugby team." When I think of Rugby, I think of large English brutes hitting each other as hard as they possibly can. I never knew that African-Americans played the sport of rugby.

When the first students from Hyde asked their friends and family about playing the sport, a common response was, "You're crazy, that's a white person's sport." Regardless of what they said, the students began to pursue the sport of Rugby. Tal Bayer, the rugby coach at Hyde, encouraged the students to play "a pick-up game after school." These pick-up games led "to the birth of a team in 2000." The sport has become very popular at Hyde school and "now, 45 of the high school's 110 boys play." It is amazing to see how a game that was own known to these students is now something they all look forward to after school. Not only has Hyde created a school full of Rugby players but, "Hyde has become one of the city's top programs, finishing second out of seven teams in the Metro Area Varsity Rugby Conference."

Who would have thought that a group of inner-city high school boys would be playing rugby? Since this team has been able to compete against white affluent schools, it is a "barrier that rugby has broken down." Seeing an African-American rugby team excel and play against teams who have only encountered white opponents is progress in braking down racial barriers. It is amazing to see how our Constitution has allowed for once slaves to now be accepted in our American society. I have always seen the videos of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in the M.L.B., and how he broke down racial barriers by playing in a "white mans sport." America is making progress! This rugby team is one of the thousands of examples of how our country is progressing in the right direction.

The Reality of Moving into the White House

When I think of Barack Obama, I think of the word "Change." Everyone is anticipating when Obama gives his inaugural speech and becomes the President of the United Sates of America. The question I ask is, how much change will he bring once he faces the realities of our country?

I opened up the Sunday Chicago Tribune to a huge picture of Obama with the title, "Great Expectations: Harsh economic, political realities will test Obama's mettle and ideas." It is great to see so much optimism out of our President-elect, but what will be his first objective to accomplish? On the front page of the Tribune it said that Obama will begin by stimulating the economy with a "stimulus package around energy development" which will start "creating manufacturing jobs in the alternative energy sector." This approach is killing two birds with one stone. It will help stimulate the economy by providing jobs, and it will also help our country slowly move form dependency on foreign oil. This is a very realistic goal that he can pursue, because honestly, there is no way he can just solve all the problems quickly, he can only take it step by step. Even though his campaign was about "change," Obama will need to look at all the problems he is facing,"a plunging economy, ongoing wars and a massive federal deficit," and deal with them pragmatically. Our new president is a very intelligent man and will do everything in his power to help the American people. He may not heal all the wounds of our country right away, but give him time and he will be able to move our country in the right direction.

Space Sports?!

In 1969, people were amazed that two men, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, walked on the moon. In the early 2oth century, idealists were dreaming about the day an American would walk on the moon, but pragmatists thought it would be an impossible task.
As I was surfing the web, I saw a headline that shocked me, "For Ex-N.F.L. Star, a Dream of Sports in Space." Ken Harvey, a retired Washington Redskin football player, has high hopes for "Float Ball." This would be a sport, a mixture of "basketball, football and the Lionel Richie video for 'Dancing on the Ceiling'", played in space. This "space sport" would be very expensive unless the rate for space travel decreased dramatically. One thing that caught my eye was when Ken Harvey said,"Sometimes it doesn't happen in your generation, but you plan to see it in the next generation." When I read that, I immediately thought of how the first Puritans were trying to set up a better place in America for their children. The Puritans had a dream to live life with religious freedom, and Ken Harvey has a dream of playing sports in space.
In my previous blog, I established how I am an idealist. If Ken Harvey has a passion for "Float Ball", I believe that he can make his dream a reality. A realist would say that playing sports in space is almost impossible, but I beg to differ. If one man can make a space traveling device that is cheap and affordable, sports in space might become a reality. I am positive that many people would be interested in playing if it was affordable. I hope that Ken Harvey stays optimistic and tries to find a way to make his dream into a reality.

State in '08!

After our football game vs. GBS, Coach Davies said to our team, "Even though we had a tough loss today, you have a clean slate in the playoffs. Lets go out there and win our next game!" Our teams record is 5-4, and we are matched up against Lane Tech, a city school power house, who has an 8-1 record. I always try to be optimistic, but to be honest with you, this game is going to be a battle. We are going to have to work for every yard and every tackle. It will be a great game to watch.

I opened up the Sunday news this morning and saw the bracket for the 8A playoffs. I quickly looked for my team and it said "#14 Winnetka (New Trier) (5-4) at #3 Chicago (Lane) (8-1)." Always being an optimist, I know that we can beat any team in the state even if they are the #3 seed and we are the #14 seed. More pragmatic people would say that Lane Tech is going to put a beating on the Trevians. With the odds against our team, we are going to prepare the most we ever have to be the Cinderella story in this years playoffs. If we beat Lane Tech, then we could run into our arch nemesis, #7 seeded Loyola. Pragmatists would say it would be unbelievable if we won two games in the playoffs, but I know we have the desire and ability to win it all. The Trevians will not go down without a battle!

It is always very important to stay optimistic when you are on a sports team. If you think you are going to loose, you most likely will. But, if you believe that your team will win, you push yourself to your limits to accomplish your goal. Being optimistic is not only important in sports, but important in life. If you have any dreams, you better be optimistic because if your not, you probably will not work your hardest to make your dreams a reality. This reminds me of how the "Americans" wanted freedom form Britain. They fought in one of the bloodiest wars ever so that they could make their dream of freedom and liberty a reality.

Dependence on Foreign Oil? Not in 10 years!

Now, I am not an election enthusiast who would not miss one second of the debates. But, when I do have some free time, I will sit down on the couch and watch my Tivo'ed programs. I scrolled down the list of recorded programs and I noticed the last debate was recorded. While watching it, I saw many idealistic and pragmatic approaches to our countries problems. One thing that both McCain and Obama had a similar pragmatic approach toward, is how to rid our country of dependence on foreign oil.
The question asked was, how much do think you can reduce foreign oil imports during your first term? When the candidates responded to the question, they both answered with a similar time frame in which they can escape dependency on foreign oil. McCain believes that he can escape dependency on foreign oil in 7 to 8 years while Obama believes it would take 10 years. Now, these approaches are very pragmatic and tangible. Usually, presidential candidates like to give idealistic answers, but on this topic they both answered with a realistic answer. I think this issue is extremely important and to give an empty promise would do no good. Also, Americans realize that it will take a long time to rid our dependency of foreign oil, so it could only hurt a candidates campaign to say they can solve the problem in a time frame such as 4 years. As an American (who will eventually vote), it is much more helpful to hear realistic answers on a candidates approach than idealistic answers. It's helpful because then you actually know how the candidate will deal with the issue instead of an empty promise that will never be fulfilled. This debate was very interesting that showed a lot about both candidates.

+936, NO WAY!

I was intrigued by an article that said "Stocks Soar 11 Percent" because I am used to seeing "down 600 points" or something of that sort. The Dow Industrial went up 936 points today which is the "biggest gain in the American stock market since the 1930s". Now, we all know about the $700 billion bailout plan, but I am sure some of us were waiting for some results. Well, now they have shown, in record highs. Many stock buyers were pessimistic of the market and did not want to invest. They were afraid that if they bought, their stocks would only go down. Over the weekend, the stock buyers began to realize that this was a very good time to buy and it could only get better. Today when the market opened, stock buyers bought many shares and that is the reason for the the massive increase of points in the Dow. 'Ryan Larson, head equity trader at Voyageur Asset Management in Chicago. “The key thing to take away from this is the key pieces of this puzzle, of this fix, are beginning to appear.”' This article uses pathos when they explain the high position Ryan Larson has which gives the notion that what he is saying is true. So, from what he says, the economy is only going to get better and America is on the road to recovery.

This incident is so interesting because this huge jump in points also happened during the road to recovery during the Great Depression. Now, the Great Depression is obviously worse than the situation we are in, but it gives me hope and optimism for the future. I am very excited to see how the markets react tomorrow after such a massive increase of points. Ryan Larson does say,"In this process you’re going to have up days, with five-plus percentage swings, and you’re going to see down days, five-plus percentage swings." If the market goes down a little tomorrow, I will not be surprised, but I am more optimistic about our future because of the record gain today. America is on the road to economic recovery.

Give Me My $250,000!!!

We put our hands in and cheered, "North Shore Community Bank, FDIC Insured!" I remember those days in 4th grade playing baseball. Hitting home runs, tagging people out at home plate, and pitching scoreless innings was what our team was all about. While reminiscing, I began to ask myself, what does FDIC insured mean?Where did FDIC insured come from?
Franklin D. Roosevelt came into the depression with the attitude of change. He was going to reform our economy so that we would leave the perilous time behind and begin to prosper. F.D.R. set up the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation so that when people deposited their money into banks that are FDIC insured, they were guaranteed a certain amount of money back if that bank failed. This corporation was created because many Americans lost all of their money when banks failed during the depression. We all know that our economy right now is in the dumps and people have started to compare these times to the depression. Legislatures are trying to prevent history from occurring again by approving the Bailout Plan. Within this Bailout Plan the FDIC will guarantee $250,000 instead of the previous $100,000. Since people are guaranteed more money, they will be less likely to go on a "bank run", which will result in banks still having money to function. This economic situation today is extremely similar to the times in the 1920's. But now I ask a question, will our country be able to bounce back from the economic peril?
America is one of the best countries in the world, and as always, we will rebound and become prosperous again. With the election ahead, we have to consider who will help our economy prosper most. Will it be Obama or McCain? I hope that whoever obtains the presidency will act similar to F.D.R, who helped our economy get back on the track towards global supremacy.